Ukraine's Biletsky says Russian 'northern claw' on Donetsk axis effectively destroyed
Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, said in a television interview that the Russian 'northern claw' on the Donetsk axis has been effectively routed and destroyed as part of Operation Vivaldi. He described the Russian plan as a pincer to encircle Ukrainian 'fortress cities' from the south via Dobropillia and from the north via Sviatohirsk toward Barvinkove, and said halting the encirclement would force Russian forces into costly frontal assaults on the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka agglomerations.
Key points
- Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps, said the Russian 'northern claw' on the Donetsk axis has been effectively routed and destroyed.
- Russia planned a two-pronged encirclement: south via Dobropillia, north via Sviatohirsk toward Barvinkove, where the two 'claws' were meant to close.
- Biletsky said the Russian infiltration near Dobropillia was halted last year; the situation there remains difficult but controlled.
- Paralyzing Russian logistics and rear areas is critical to preventing the offensive from being resumed, Biletsky said.
- If the encirclement fails, Russian forces will have to assault the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka agglomerations head-on, which Biletsky called significantly more painful and costly than encirclement.
- As of September 15, the 3rd Army Corps reported clearing about 75 sq km and de-occupying another 10 sq km in northern Donetsk Oblast, destroying Russian footholds around Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova and the outskirts of Korovii Yar.
- Operation Vivaldi's first phase, focused on eliminating infiltrations and disrupting logistics, was kept under complete information silence until September 15.
Why it matters
Biletsky's claim that the 'northern claw' has been effectively destroyed points to a setback for Russia's pincer plan aimed at encircling the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka agglomerations, which together form the core of Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk Oblast. He frames the outcome as forcing Russian forces into a far costlier frontal assault on fortified cities. At the same time, he acknowledges that Russian forces still hold a manpower advantage, even as an infantry deficit is beginning to appear on their side, and that paralyzing their logistics is essential to preventing the offensive from being resumed.
What happened
In a televised interview, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, commander of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, said the Russian 'northern claw' on the Donetsk axis has been effectively routed and destroyed within Operation Vivaldi. He outlined the Russian plan as a two-pronged encirclement of Ukrainian 'fortress cities': a southern thrust through Dobropillia and a northern thrust via Sviatohirsk toward Barvinkove, where both 'claws' were intended to close. Biletsky said the Russian infiltration near Dobropillia was halted last year and the situation there remains difficult but controlled. He stressed that paralyzing Russian logistics and rear areas is critical to preventing the offensive from being resumed, and argued that failure to encircle would force Russian forces into frontal assaults on the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka agglomerations, which he called significantly more painful and costly. As of September 15, the 3rd Army Corps reported clearing about 75 square kilometers and de-occupying another 10 square kilometers in northern Donetsk Oblast, destroying Russian footholds around Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova and the outskirts of Korovii Yar. The first phase of Operation Vivaldi, focused on eliminating infiltrations and disrupting enemy logistics, had been kept under complete information silence until that date. Biletsky also said the strategic goal of Ukraine's Defense Forces on the Donetsk axis is the defense of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, with forces fighting primarily for defensible lines rather than a specific amount of retaken territory. He acknowledged that the Russian army currently has more infantry than Ukrainian forces, but noted that over the past year an infantry deficit has begun to emerge in Russian forces as well.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The interview was carried by Ukrainian outlets and reflects the framing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Operation Vivaldi is presented as having broken the 'northern claw' of the Russian pincer plan aimed at the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka-Kostiantynivka agglomerations, forcing Russian forces into a frontal approach that Ukrainian commanders describe as far more costly. Biletsky, who heads the 'Center' force grouping set up on August 26 alongside Denys Prokopenko's 'Azov' grouping to reinforce Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast, also used the appearance to acknowledge the manpower imbalance while arguing that Russia's infantry disadvantage and its dependence on a reconnaissance-strike loop will continue to translate into heavy Russian casualties.
Background
Russia's plan on the Donetsk axis envisioned encircling Ukrainian 'fortress cities' from two sides: from the south through Dobropillia and from the north via a salient toward Sviatohirsk and onward to Barvinkove, where both 'claws' were meant to close. The Russian infiltration near Dobropillia was halted last year, and the situation on the Dobropillia axis remains difficult but controlled. On August 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast would be reinforced by two renewed force groupings commanded by Denys Prokopenko and Andriy Biletsky; Biletsky heads the 'Center' grouping, Prokopenko heads the 'Azov' grouping. On September 7, Biletsky recorded a video address from the center of Sviatohirsk in front of the Sviatohirsk Holy Dormition Lavra, after the Russian ruler's claims that the city had been 'captured.' As of September 15, the 3rd Army Corps reported clearing about 75 square kilometers and de-occupying another 10 square kilometers in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, with Russian footholds destroyed in the areas of Novoselivka, Oleksandrivka, Yarova and the outskirts of Korovii Yar. Operation Vivaldi was held under complete information silence until September 15, its first phase aimed at eliminating Russian infiltrations and disrupting their logistics. Ukrinform also reported earlier that Zelensky had said Russia plans to additionally mobilize 300,000 people after its elections.